Summer
by Shayna
Summary: The gang heads up to Tomoyo's mountain cabin to spend the first few weeks of summer. This is my first fic so please R&R! I'm eagerly awaiting feedback.
1. The Car Ride

Author's Note: This is my first attempt at any kind of fanfiction so please be kind

Author's Note: This is my first attempt at any kind of fanfiction so please be kind. I encourage constructive criticism and would love positive reviews. (But I understand if you have flames. Just be gentle.) It may not seem like a romance at first, but it will later. This story is centered around Sakura and Syaoran but (of course) includes Tomoyo and Eriol as well. I am only familiar with the English version of CCS and what I have read of the other episodes, and I know little Japanese at all, so please correct me if I make any errors as to plot or use of Japanese. This isn't supposed to have a very intricate plot, so there probably won't be any errors that really matter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I (sadly) do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any characters affiliated with it. Please don't sue me. Thanks!

Summer

By: Shayna (No, this is not my real name)

As relieved as he was that school was finally out, Li Syaoran was slightly uneasy about his current situation. At the moment, he was seated next to a very beautiful Kinomoto Sakura who was dozing peacefully in the backseat of the SUV that he and his friends were in. Seems innocent enough, right? But Syaoran, the toughest fighter in the world, was feeling slightly uncomfortable. She was his one weakness, the one that could bring upon his downfall. He thought she was the most beautiful creature to ever grace the earth with her presence. And so, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. 

He started at her hair, glistening in the sun showing through the window, and brushed a few stray strands from her face. Then, his eyes traveled to her eyes, which were listlessly closed shut. Going further, he observed her cute button nose, and then he went down to her lips. Her luscious pink lips. He quickly dismissed any thoughts he had as to those lips of hers, and went back to her eyes. Actually it was her eyelids. _If only you would open those lovely eyes of yours,_ he thought to himself. And suddenly, her eyes fluttered open and her sparkling emerald eyes stared back at him. He froze, surprised at first, and then transfixed upon her gaze.

The two sat there for a moment just staring at one another. For her, watching him look at her like that sent shivers up her spine. Strands of his auburn locks were carelessly strewn across his face. His chestnut eyes were locked on hers making her feel warm and self-conscious all at once.

"What are you staring at, Syaoran?" Sakura asked, coming out of her small trance. He said nothing, only blushed.

"What is it? Is there something on my face?"

"No! I…um…I…thought I heard you say something in your sleep," he stammered. Giggles were heard coming from the front seat as the amethyst-eyed driver peered at them through the rear-view mirror. She exchanged glances with the front-seat passenger who smirked back at her in response.

How had Syaoran come to be in such a position? To start, he would be spending the first few weeks of summer in the mountains in a large cabin with his three good friends. Well, actually, one half-reincarnation of the creator of a magical book of cards (who he happened to be distantly related to) and a girl who was in love with her video camera as well as best friends with the last member of their fabulous foursome (who happened to be the most powerful sorceress in the world) and the object of Syaoran's affection. Of course there was also the fact that Syaoran, himself, was the future leader of one of the most powerful clans in all of China, but other than that, they were a pretty average group of teenagers.

Daidouji Tomoyo's mom (did I mention that she was rich?) had recently purchased a cabin in the mountains for the summer, but was unable to go because of last minute business to take care of. Who better to go than Tomoyo and her three best friends? So it was all settled. The four would be alone with no parents, unsupervised by anyone, under a single cabin roof in a secluded area of the mountains for nearly three weeks. How Sakura's father had allowed her to come was beyond Syaoran, not to mention Sakura's overprotective older brother, but somehow, they were all going to spend their summer together.

And so Syaoran found himself in an awkward situation on the car ride up to the mountains.

"How was your sleep?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Refreshing," she replied. She stretched out as much as she could in her cramped quarters. Syaoran was nearly socked by her stray hand.

"Gomen," she remarked sheepishly. Glancing out the window, she surveyed her new surroundings. There wasn't much more than a highway stretching on for a long distance. She noticed that it was surprisingly peaceful in the car, just sitting there, enjoying the ride in good company. Up ahead, Sakura could see the mountains that they were heading for.

"Are we there yet?"

Tomoyo groaned at her friend.

"Sakura, couldn't you think of anything better to ask?"

"I was just wondering! How long was I asleep, anyway?"

"Well let's see," started Syaoran, "the snoring started at about…"

"Hey! I do NOT snore!" She punched him lightly.

"No need to get violent," Syaoran chuckled slightly and then continued, "You were out for a good hour or so."

"So how much longer until we get there?" Sakura inquired. Tomoyo rolled her eyes.

"Sakura!"

"I just want to know!" she defended herself.

With map in hand, Eriol traced their route, found their current position and made some quick calculations in his head.

"It'll be about another 75 minutes," he stated. It was quiet in the car for a while until Sakura spoke up again.

"Um…I kind of have to go to the bathroom." If it was at all possible Tomoyo, Eriol, and Syaoran would all have face-vaulted. 

"You'll have to hold it," said Tomoyo, "because it'll be at least another ten minutes before we reach the next town." After a few more moments of complete silence, Eriol flipped on the radio. But they no longer received their usual alternative rock station. Instead, their ears were met with the chords of a country ballad. Four unanimous groans then ensued before Eriol could quickly change the station to something more suitable.

Sakura was the first to start humming the familiar tune and Tomoyo's voice then followed. Soon, they were both quietly singing the words. Not long after, the two boys, finding nothing else better to do began singing as well. Of course, it took a mere thirty seconds more for them to be loudly singing along and nodding their heads to the beat. A part of the song came on with really fast lyrics and they all pretended like they knew the words, but since none of them did, it all came out like a bunch of gibberish.

They burst out laughing. There was more driving and more singing for quite some time. (Long car rides are always boring.)

"Look! There's the town!" Sakura was the first to notice. Of course, it was hardly much of a town. It was more like a pit stop with a gas station, two restaurants, a shabby motel, a few scattered homes and some souvenir shops.

Tomoyo pulled into the gas station and all four piled out to stretch their limbs. Eriol proceeded to pump the gas as Sakura and Tomoyo went to find a restroom.

"I'm surprised she's not at all suspicious of you, my love-struck descendant," remarked Eriol to Syaoran once the two girls were gone.

"What are you talking about?" said Syaoran casually.

"Oh come on! It's painfully obvious that you're infatuated with her. Why don't you just tell her already?"

"I still don't know what you're talking about," Syaoran lied terribly.

"You can fool Sakura, but not the rest of us," Eriol smirked as Syaoran turned his back and headed for the convenient store next to the gas station.

Inside the small store, Syaoran rummaged through some candy and other junk, left soon with a small armload of goodies.

"My, aren't we the healthy eater?"

He whirled around and came face-to-face with two green eyes and a playful grin.

"Hey, you're not my mother. I can eat whatever I want, and this is what I…" but before he could finish, Sakura was loading some extra Ding-Dongs, Twix, and M&M's into his arms.

"That should do it." Figuring it was best not to argue, Syaoran merely headed for the counter. The cashier gave him a peculiar look when he dumped all of the junk food onto the counter, but sighed and then rang up the items.

As the two headed back for the car, they found Tomoyo and Eriol highlighting the route for the remainder of the trip and writing extra directions onto a piece of paper.

"You're driving, Syaoran," stated Eriol as he handed him the keys, "and Sakura will be your navigator," he went on as he handed Sakura the map and directions. He then slid into the backseat, followed by Tomoyo. Syaoran raised a suspicious eyebrow at Eriol, but hopped into the driver's seat nonetheless. The sun was starting to set as night rolled onto the car on the highway.

After about 15 minutes of driving, Sakura glanced into the backseat.

"Kawaii!" she whispered at the sleeping couple. Tomoyo was nestled against Eriol who was cradling her against him.

"You're starting to sound like Tomoyo," stated Syaoran.

"Scary thought," said Sakura, "All I need now is a camera pointed directly at both of them," she giggled. But not long after, Sakura, too was dozing off. Her eyelids had suddenly gotten so heavy. She was a little cold and absently searched for some source of warmth in her semi-consciousness. Without knowing it, she had leaned her head against Syaoran's shoulder and soon found the comfort she was looking for. She felt incredibly at peace and completely safe right where she was. 

Syaoran felt Sakura shiver slightly in her sleep as her head fell against his shoulder. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks as he gazed down at her. He then brought his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to lean completely against him. He couldn't bear to see her shiver like that.

"Kawaii!" Syaoran turned a shade of crimson red, surprised to see that Tomoyo was awake and had already whipped out her camera and had it square upon the both of them.

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Not at the moment. Besides, you two are just too kawaii to pass up!"

"You don't want to wake her up, do you?" he hissed at her.

"I know YOU don't want her to wake up," Tomoyo winked at him.

"Daidouji!" She eventually stopped filming and after a while fell back to sleep again.

Alone with his thoughts and his Cherry Blossom once more, Syaoran hugged her a little closer. She sub-consciously snuggled closer to him, burying her head into the crook of his neck. 

"Syaoran," she whispered in her sleep. He blushed furiously and peered down to make sure she was still asleep. Thankfully Tomoyo wasn't there to capture this moment on film. Her breath against his neck was almost more than he could handle. He was surprised he hadn't run the car off the side of the rode already.

The rest of the car ride went on uneventfully as he drove the rest of the way in the quiet darkness of the night with Sakura under his arm. He somehow managed to juggle both Sakura and the directions enough to find his way through the winding roads and ended up on a dirt road heading for the cabin.

When he finally arrived in the dirt driveway, he could vaguely make out the silhouette of the cabin and the outline of what seemed to be a lake. Regretting having to wake her up, he gently shook Sakura.

"Are we there yet?" she asked in mid-yawn.

"Hai. We're finally here," he answered with a slight chuckle.

They woke up the other two and the four proceeded with all they could carry and, as best as they could make out in the dark, headed for the front door. Tomoyo fumbled with the key and eventually got the door open. She flipped on the lights and all four of them gasped.

I know it's not that great, (or that long) but keep in mind that it is my first fic. So what do you think? Should I continue with this story or ditch it? Please review! I'll update as soon as I can if I get good reviews.


	2. At the Cabin

Author's Note: Wow

Author's Note: Wow! I wasn't expecting all of the positive feedback! I'm glad you guys liked it. I must warn you that I am extremely busy with school and extracurricular activities, so updating my stories will probably be quite staggered. I can never tell when I'll have free time. Enough talk! On with the story!

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Tomoyo fumbled with the key and eventually got the door open. She flipped on the lights and all four of them gasped.

Summer cont'd

By: Shayna

It was so dark outside that they hadn't even noticed! The cabin was…was…it was HUGE! And fully decked out, too! They were currently staring at a large living room. The entire floor was polished hardwood and inside was a couch, love seat, coffee table, TV, VCR, DVD player, and more. There were two French doors leading out to a gorgeous deck and beautiful landscape paintings adorning the walls. Various fur rugs were littered across the room, further adding to the "cozy cabin" feel.

But that was only the living room. There was a half-opened door which was leading to what they thought was the kitchen with a swinging door on the other side of the stairs (yes, stairs!) into the dining area. At least, they figured that the swinging door was probably also connected to the kitchen, but they couldn't be sure.

Going back to the stairs…well…there were stairs! And they led to a second story, but they couldn't see what was up there. However, they were too busy gaping to notice much more. Well, actually, Tomoyo was gaping and recording it all at the same time.

"Wow." 

"You can say _that_ again!"

"Wow."

"I didn't mean it literally!"

They all looked at each other for a moment and then Syaoran looked at Sakura and said, "Race you to the top!"

Before anyone could blink, the two had dropped their luggage and were in a full out sprint heading for the stairs. As they reached the banister, they began pushing each other to try and get ahead. When they reached the top, they both lost their balance and came crashing to the floor. Syaoran was on top of Sakura, inadvertently pinning her down. Both were breathing hard and completely flushed. Deep emerald orbs met rich chestnut ones and they were frozen there for a moment, transfixed with each other. Then Syaoran bent his head close to her ear and whispered, "I win." She trembled slightly under his gaze, sure that he would notice, but quickly changed her expression.

"You better wipe that nasty grin off your face!" she snapped humorously.

"Oh yeah? Or else what?" he retorted with a smirk on his face.

"Or else THIS!" Before he could even realize what was happening, Syaoran found himself flipped over onto his back with Sakura straddling his waist and pinning his wrists down. His eyes grew wide at the unexpected move and he felt his heart beating ten times its normal rate.

"I win!" she shouted triumphantly.

A high pitched squeal of delight could be heard from the girl downstairs as she captured every moment on tape. The two upstairs blushed furiously as Sakura quickly scrambled off of Syaoran and averted her gaze from his. Her attention soon became focused on her surroundings.

"This place is huge! You guys have to come up here and check this out!" Sakura shouted down to Tomoyo and Eriol. As Syaoran got to his feet, he noticed just what Sakura was talking about.

Immediately in front of him was a bathroom that looked fairly large with two sinks, a shower, and a tub. The hallway branched off in both directions from the bathroom, revealing a bedroom on each side along with a linen closet attached to the hallway wall. More paintings hung in the empty wall space.

Tomoyo took her camera on a quick tour of both bedrooms.

"Hey! There's a balcony!" she squealed in sheer joy.

The three others followed her path into the bedroom on the right and through the (now open) balcony door until they were standing in the cool night air. The balcony was very long and stretched all the way to the other bedroom where another door led out from it as well. It was also wide enough for a few comfy looking chairs and two small (very small) tables.

"It's so pretty!" An awe-struck Sakura was gazing out to what she thought was the lake in the fair distance. Since clouds were covering the little bit of moon that was out during this particular time of month, the water had no reflection and she could just barely make out its silhouette. She closed her eyes to the sound of a light wind rustling through all of the nearby trees.

Syaoran stole a quick glance over at Sakura who seemed to be basking in the calmness of the evening, with the wind tossing her hair carelessly about. To him, she was absolutely stunning. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad vacation after all. Tomoyo was, of course, taping it all.

"Well, let's finish unloading the car. Then we can unpack and get situated in our rooms," suggested Eriol. Syaoran snapped out of his little reverie and nodded with a simple, "Hai."

And so, the group headed inside, back downstairs, and then out to the car for the second load of luggage. They then proceeded to heave it all upstairs and dropped it wearily onto the floor.

"Sakura and I will take the room on the right. You two boys can take the one on the left," instructed Tomoyo.

The girls' room had only one impressively massive bed, while the boys' had two surprisingly large full-size beds. Each room was equipped with a TV, a dresser, and a closet, as well as a lovely landscape painting hanging on the wall as usual. Soon enough, the girls were unpacked.

"I'm going exploring," Sakura told Tomoyo on her way out of the bedroom.

Sakura headed downstairs and towards the kitchen. The light was on and she could see Syaoran already snooping through the fridge. She quietly snuck up behind him and…

"Sakura, I know you're there. I could feel you sneaking up behind me a mile away."

"Oh! How did you know?"

"You know you are a powerful sorceress. You're aura is very strong to me. I can sense you almost anywhere. I know you can sense me, too."

"Yeah…" she thought. He turned back to the fridge.

"You just can't surprise me Sakura."

"Oh really?"

"That's right, because whenever you…"

Before he had a chance to say anything she poked him in the sides. He jumped about a mile in the air.

"Hey! No fair, Sakura!" 

"Was that surprising?"

"Hai. You got me on that one," he admitted, the heat rising on his cheeks.

"But I bet it would be even more surprising if I didn't stop!" she exclaimed as she poked him again and tickled him a little.

"Matte!" he shouted while laughing a little.

But she didn't stop. She continued assailing him again and again until she was full-on tickling him and he was laughing until the tears almost came.  
"Ahem!" The two immediately stopped and looked up at a smirking Eriol and Tomoyo.

"I see you're enjoying that 'exploring' of yours, ne Sakura?" asked Tomoyo.

Sakura blushed profusely.

"So…who's up for some late night TV?" Sakura asked, hurriedly changing the subject as she quickly exited the way she came.

When she found the group following her, she headed for the large living room couch and stopped, staring down at the coffee table. She hesitated a moment before picking up a remote. She fumbled with a few buttons and then put it down and picked up another. She repeated the process.

"Um…how do I work this thing?"

"Step aside and allow a technical professional to assist you," Eriol stated as he moved in on the remotes. He took a quick glance at the three on the table.

"This one here is for operating the TV," he said as he picked up the first. "This one is for the VCR, and this one is for the DVD," he stated matter-of-factly. He then proceeded in turning on the TV and adjusting the settings so that the color, sound, and clarity were just perfect.

"Our hero," sighed Tomoyo over dramatically while batting her eyelashes. She then settled into the couch next to Eriol as he lifted his arm to allow her room under it. Sakura sat next to Tomoyo and Syaoran next to her. They were watching "The Man Show." (Disclaimer: I do not own "The Man Show." Please don't sue me. Thanks!)

"This is so degrading towards women!" Sakura shouted. "I could take on any one of those guys and easily win! What chauvinistic pigs! Everything they talk about is a stereotype about women that is largely exaggerated. "

"Maybe," said Syaoran, "but it _is _pretty funny."

Sakura picked up a pillow and clogged him on the head with it.

"Hey!"

"You deserved that one, my baka descendent," commented Eriol as he quickly changed the channel. But soon enough, the two girls began to doze again. Tomoyo nuzzled herself further into Eriol, who cradled her gently and gazed down at her fondly.

Sakura began leaning her weight in Syaoran's direction, resting her head on his shoulder. He reached up and brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face.

"How can they sleep this much?" questioned Syaoran.

"You got me on that one. All I know is that they look pretty cute that way, ne?"

"Well, I guess we should get them to bed."

And so, Syaoran, careful not to disturb his sleeping beauty, got off of the couch and gently picked Sakura up. Feeling her body so close to his made his mind reel. He began his ascent up the stairs, never once taking his eyes off of her beautiful features. To him, she was as light as a feather. When she stirred slightly, he cradled her even closer to his body and she subconsciously clutched his shirt between her fingers. He could now easily inhale her sweet scent of cherry blossoms and vanilla permeating from her hair. And he could now feel her heart gently beating so close to his. It was pure bliss to have her this close. He never wanted to let her go.

He finally got her up to her bed and tried to set her down. But she was clutching to his shirt tightly, as if letting go would mean her death. He was now leaning over her, trying to free himself from her grip. But he would have been fine staying like that all night.

"Syaoran," she whispered lightly to him in a false state of consciousness.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up as a shiver ran down his spine from the feel of her sweet breath against his skin. He looked down at her to make sure she was still asleep.

"I'll see you tomorrow my Cherry Blossom," he whispered into her ear. She reluctantly eased her grip on his shirt and so he leaned up and placed a kiss gingerly on the top of her forehead. He couldn't be sure, but he could swear that her lips curved up ever so slightly into a small grin.

So how's that for a second chapter? I know it's not that long and I decided I wouldn't do a cliffhanger for this one, but I did my best. Want more? Don't want more? Please tell me!


	3. Breakfast

Author's Note: Thank you

Author's Note: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thanks to all those who gave me such wonderful reviews! I thoroughly appreciate them. It's what keeps me excited about writing! I'm sorry about not getting the last chapter out that quickly. I actually had it written and ready to go two days after I posted my first chapter, but I had to figure out a different method to upload my new chapter so it took a few more days. (Long story.) Once again, please remember that I am super busy with school etc. but will try to write as much as I possibly can whenever I get the chance. Anyway, since I know you are all eager to read more…here is Chapter 3!

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"I'll see you tomorrow my Cherry Blossom," he whispered into her ear. She reluctantly eased her grip on his shirt and so he leaned up and placed a kiss gingerly on the top of her forehead. He couldn't be sure, but he could swear that her lips curved up ever so slightly into a small grin.

Summer cont'd

By Shayna

The sun filtered through the glass double doors in Sakura's room, awakening her from a blissful slumber. She stretched out dazedly, slowly opening her eyes to the world that had long since been awake. Memories of the night before slowly came back and she wondered how she had gotten up to her bed. She remembered watching TV and figured that she must have fallen asleep on the couch. A slightly crimson shade rose in her cheeks as she wondered whether her dreams of Syaoran carrying her off to bed and whispering into her ear could really have happened. Quickly, she dismissed the thought as wishful thinking. Either way, she had somehow ended up in her bed.

Looking beside her, she realized that Tomoyo was not present. This left her even more puzzled. She quickly scanned the room to find that she wasn't present anywhere. This was when her eyes finally met the greetings of the outside.

She gasped as she slowly got up and padded her way over to the doors of the balcony, pulling them open. As she stepped into the sunshine, she closed her eyes, savoring the warm feeling of the sun streaming across her face. Opening her eyes again, she took in the lovely view around her. Green eyes met green trees and green grass, and then, crystal blue water of the lake, which was surprisingly farther from the cabin than she had originally thought the night before.

"Wow," she whispered to herself, admiring the absolutely stunning scenery surrounding her. There wasn't another soul or trace of one anywhere in sight. It was simply nature in its purest form. She smiled broadly at the thought of being in the midst of such beauty.

However, she soon brought herself back from whatever cloud she was floating on and decided to head back inside to find the others. Of course, this would be after a shower and a change of clothes. She was still in her old clothes from the day before.

Downstairs, Eriol and Tomoyo were snuggled on the couch watching TV, leaving Syaoran in the kitchen with the task of cooking breakfast for everyone. He was currently contemplating what to make while rummaging through the contents of the fridge and cabinets as well as the variety of cooking utensils he had to work with. Deciding not to go overboard, he picked the always-practical pancakes and got to work.

All clean and dressed, Sakura proceeded down the stairs.

"Ohayo minna!" she greeted cheerily.

"Nice to see you awake, finally, Sakura," greeted an amused Tomoyo.

"Hey! I just happen to enjoy sleeping very…mmmm! What's that smell?"

"Syaoran's cooking us breakfast!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

"If you're hungry, I'm sure you'll find something appetizing right through that door," pointed Eriol suggestively. Sakura gave him a quizzical look but then proceeded through the door to the kitchen. 

As soon as Sakura was through the door, Tomoyo was off like a shot fetching her camera and sneaking to the other door to the kitchen to tape through a small crack. 

"Ohayo Sakura," said Syaoran without turning around. He had sensed her aura long before she walked down the stairs that morning and had easily felt her enter the room.

"It _is _a good morning isn't it? And whatever it is you're making smells delicious, Syaoran."

"Thanks," he said, turning towards her for the first time that morning to flash a small smile at her. Just that little smile made her heart do flip-flops. The only thing she could think of to do was smile back.

She was gorgeous when she smiled. No, she was gorgeous no matter what, but that bright smile could make any man's heart melt like ice cream on a sunny day. In fact, her smile was like a sunny day. She could brighten an entire house with the light from her smile.

He then noticed her outfit. It would never amaze him how wonderful she could look in something so simple. She was wearing a baby blue spaghetti strap top with khaki shorts and simple white tennis shoes, her key pendant strung about her neck. Her hair was in a simple style and some of her hair in the front fell carelessly in front of her eyes. He wished he could run his fingers through it and inhale its wonderful fragrance, but he doubted he would ever get the chance to. Last night had been the closest he had ever gotten to her. Had anyone else looked at her that morning in that kitchen, they may not have thought her to be anything special. But to him, she was a sight to behold.

"So, what are you making?" she questioned him curiously.

"Food."

"I know that, baka. Could you be a little more specific?"

"Breakfast," he answered with a slight smirk.

"I know that, too! What kind of breakfast?" She asked him with growing urgency.

"The kind that you eat," he added with growing amusement at her frustration.

She finally got fed up and wandered up to the stove he was bent over.

"Ah, ah, ah! No peaking until I'm done," he smiled, obstructing her view.

She tried to get around him, but to no avail. It was like he knew every move that she was going to make. She tried using her arm to shove him away, but he easily caught it and spun her slightly so that she was facing away from him. He then encircled his arms around her waist and brought her close to him. He leaned his mouth close to her ear.

"I said no peaking," he whispered. A shiver ran the length of her spine as she felt his warm breath against her neck and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. 

A muffled squeal was inaudible to the two as Tomoyo covered her mouth before she could shriek, "Kawaii!"

Syaoran slowly released Sakura and turned back to his cooking.

"Well, I guess I could let you help me with breakfast," he said, quickly changing the…um, rather interesting atmosphere in the room.

"Really?" she asked, slightly hopeful.

"Sure. Why not? You can set the table."

"Syaoran!" 

He chuckled at her. "Fine," she grumbled in protested agreement. She wandered around the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets and drawers until everything was set up.

"Almost ready," stated Syaoran.

"It's about time."

"Hey! Cooking is an art."

"Blah blah blah. Just hurry up and dish out the pancakes."

"Don't you…hey! How did you know I was making pancakes?"

"I'm not a complete moron, Syaoran. And I know you better than you may think." She smiled with satisfaction at puzzling the Almighty Syaoran.

"Want a taste? They're hot off the grill," Syaoran asked.

"Yeah!" Sakura replied enthusiastically.

"Okay. Open your mouth and close your eyes and you will get a big surprise," he recited the child's limerick. She did as instructed and he cut off a small piece and stabbed it with a fork. There she was, standing still in the kitchen with mouth open and eyes closed. All he could do was grin at her anticipation.

"No peaking this time," he teased.

"Alright already!" She was once again growing impatient just standing there with her eyes closed.

Finally, he placed the small piece in her mouth and she concealed it with her lips.

"Mmmmm…" She savored the taste as she chewed.

"You can open your eyes now."

She did, and blushed slightly.

Tomoyo was trying her very hardest not to make a peep while taping such a scene. She was holding her breath and covering her mouth at the same time, turning slightly blue. Had the moment lasted any longer, she may just have burst from sheer delight.

Syaoran turned back to the kitchen counter and handed Sakura the small platter of warm pancakes, which she deposited on the kitchen table.

"TOMOYO! ERIOL! BREAKFAST!" she called loudly. Tomoyo just about jumped through the roof, but made her way around to the front door of the kitchen after carefully putting her camera away.

Soon enough the four friends were around the table, enjoying the food and talking about this and that.

"So, what do you guys want to do today, now that we're all settled in?" Sakura asked.

"Well, I hear that these woods are absolutely gorgeous and that there are a few trails around here that we could easily find and follow," answered Tomoyo.

"Doesn't sound so bad," commented Eriol.

"I think the fresh mountain air will do us all some good," said Sakura.

"I guess I'm up to a nature walk," agreed Syaoran, happy to go anywhere with Sakura.

"It's settled then. A nature walk it is," Tomoyo confirmed

They set out about a half hour later and followed the rocky path that they had driven in on until they met a sign which said "Highway and Nature Trails" with arrows pointing in their respective opposite directions. They walked a little farther until they met another sign with arrows pointing down different paths. One was for a mountain trail, another for a forest trail, and the other for a river trail. Not feeling up to an uphill hike, they agreed on the forest trail and headed up the small dirt path.

It was clearly evident that not many people came through often, for the trail was sprouting grass and in some cases completely covered in green. Everything surrounding the trail seemed untouched by humans at all.

They walked in peaceful silence for a while, enjoying the sunshine and the beauty of the nature around them. Eriol reached out and grasped Tomoyo's hand pulling her close to him. She leaned gently against his side as they walked, a calm smile adorning her lips.

Syaoran watched Eriol in envy, wishing that Sakura would be willing to lean against him if he ever mustered up the courage to make a move. He knew he wouldn't, at least not now, but he would gladly accept her in his arms nonetheless.

Sakura caught a glimpse of the happy couple and secretly wished that Syaoran would be that openly loving towards her some day. But she knew it was just wishful thinking and decided it was best not to torture herself over it. Still, it was a nice thought.

"It's hard to admire the true beauty of nature when you're suck in the city all the time," thought Sakura aloud.

"Yeah," said Tomoyo, "I was excited when my mom said she had bought a cabin up here and I couldn't wait to get up to see it. But I wasn't expecting it to be so soon, and I definitely wasn't expecting this. This is better than anything I could ever have imagined it to be. It's perfect."

"It wouldn't be as perfect if I wasn't here with you, Tomoyo," remarked Eriol.

"You know you don't have to sweet-talk me," blushed Tomoyo, "but I can't say that I don't like it," she finished.

"Syaoran, you haven't said much. What do you think?" asked Tomoyo, redirecting the attention away from herself.

"I think it's a shame that not everyone gets to see this. Maybe if they could see for themselves just how magnificent nature is by itself, they would stop tearing it down and destroying it. I just hope that places like this will still be around for future generations to see."

The whole group agreed and thought deeply about it to themselves when they reached a fork in the trail. There was a sign that said, "Trails meet up 1 mile," with a picture showing that there were two separate trails that merged again a little ways up.

"You don't mind if Eriol and I go up one trail on our own, do you?" Tomoyo asked, innocently enough. But anyone who was looking carefully enough should have been able to spot the little red devil-Tomoyo hovering just above her shoulder with a suspiciously mischievous grin plastered on its evil-intending face.

Feeling too guilty to deprive the two from their time alone, Sakura and Syaoran reluctantly agreed, much to the delight of Tomoyo and an equally smug Eriol.

The auburn-haired duo headed down the trail on the right while Eriol and Tomoyo took the one on the left. As soon as they were out of earshot, Eriol spoke up.

"I'm surprised that your little plan worked, Tomoyo."

"Do you dare doubt the all powerful Matchmaker Tomoyo?"

"Not anymore. I'm just glad it worked."

"Yeah. They deserve to be together."

"I wasn't talking just about them," he whispered as he leaned in close to her. She blushed slightly but greeted his invitation as he enclosed her lips with his.

So whaddya think? Questions? Comments? Complaints? I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I possibly can. I hope you liked it! Thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate it. Oh, one more thing: I'm sorry, but I won't e-mail you when I post a new chapter. I'd love to write and get to know you all, but I don't want to give out my e-mail address to anyone. I'm a strictly anonymous writer. Sorry.


	4. In the Forest

"I'm surprised that your little plan worked, Tomoyo

Author's Note: I'm so sorry that I didn't get this chapter out any sooner, but this past week has just been so hectic! We just had swim finals and the school musical (all of which went very well) but I had no time to do anything during the week and I was too tired to do anything by the time the week was over, so this chapter isn't exactly my best stuff. Hopefully this week won't be so busy and I'll be able to write a little more often. At least swim season is out of the way! (I do my little end-of-swim-season dance.) That should give me a little more time for writing. Thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews! I really do appreciate every one of them. Since I know you guys are eager for more, I won't keep you waiting any longer.

__

"I'm surprised that your little plan worked, Tomoyo."

"Do you dare doubt the all powerful Matchmaker Tomoyo?"

"Not anymore. I'm just glad it worked."

"Yeah. They deserve to be together."  
"I wasn't talking just about them," he whispered as he leaned in close to her. She blushed slightly but greeted his invitation as he enclosed her lips with his.

Summer cont'd

By: Shayna

In another part of the forest, Sakura and Syaoran were sauntering along their trail. Nothing could be heard but the wind through the trees. It was pure beauty and tranquility. Suddenly, Sakura stopped and closed her eyes.

"Do you feel that?" she asked, in a calm tone.

"Feel what?"

"I'm not quite sure, but it feels as though my magical senses have been heightening for some time now. They just suddenly feel stronger, and I feel some other kind of magic nearby. It feels like mine," she replied, a gentle smile adorning her face. Her eyes were still closed, as though she wanted to feel, rather than see whatever it was that she was sensing.

"I've noticed that your aura has gotten substantially brighter since we arrived up here."

"My aura…" she said, contemplating the thought.

"Wait!" she said in a hushed voice. Her eyelids still shut. "Don't talk or make a sound, and move anywhere around me."

"Sakura, what are you…"

"Shhhh! Just do it! I wanna test something."

"Alright."

He did as he was instructed, his catlike maneuvers allowing him to move without being heard at all. But as he moved, she moved with him. She followed him wherever he went. Not once did he take his eyes off her, and not once did she open her eyes. 

"Stop," she commanded. She was smiling now. Then she began walking closer and closer to Syaoran until she was only about two feet from him. 

"Put your hand up," she said. He did as he was told, slightly amazed that she could tell where he was. Of course, he had always been able to feel her aura. It was so bright, how could anyone with any kind of magic miss it? But she had never before been able to follow his movements, or even sense him at all.

Quickly stealing him from any thoughts, Sakura put her hand right up to Syaoran's and placed her palm against his. Then, she hesitantly laced her fingers with his. It was like their hands were made to fit together like that; pieces of a puzzle that had somehow been separated.

All at once, her lashes fluttered open and her jaded orbs stared directly into his mahogany ones. Surprise was a definite expression on his face. But there was something else. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it made her heart beat faster by the second.

He had been so surprised at her bold move that he nearly forgot to breathe. When her eyes met his, he inhaled almost sharply. Her deep gaze penetrated him to the core. 

And they stood frozen like that for what seemed like an eternity to them both when they heard a loud *snap* coming from the brush. Both of their heads whirled around simultaneously in reaction to the sudden commotion. They both took a few cautious steps towards the source of the noise and peered through the trees.

Beyond the small row of trees was a miniature clearing where the sun shone through. Anyone could easily pass through the trail without noticing it through the trees. Suddenly, they heard a rustling sound and a doe stepped out from behind some brush and into the clearing.

Sakura and Syaoran both held their breaths in witness of this magnificent display of nature. Neither could take their eyes off of the deer as it peacefully nibbled on some grass. They watched intently, transfixed on the absolute serenity emanating that area.

Just as quickly as it had come, the doe decided it was enough and headed back through the brush. The two onlookers could only stare, dumbfounded at the sight from which the deer had previously been grazing.

"Wow…" Sakura breathed.

"Yeah…" agreed Syaoran.

As they started to walk again, Sakura spoke up. "I'll never understand how hunters can find it fun to kill such innocent creatures," she spoke with a sadness in her tone.

"People often don't see what it is they are destroying until it is all gone," Syaoran added.

They were walking closer together now, neither realizing that their hands were still interlaced and hanging by their sides.

They also didn't notice that their auras were somewhat mixing together, hers pink and his green, each complimenting the other perfectly. They had never done that before. Perhaps they were getting more comfortable with being near each other. Perhaps it was something more.

Soon enough they came upon the area where the two trails merged again, and they saw Tomoyo and Eriol waiting patiently for them. When they spotted Sakura and Syaoran, they started whispering something to each other with devious grins on their faces.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Sakura, "It's making me uneasy."

Tomoyo's smirk grew wider.

"Oh nothing," she said in a sing-song voice, "except for the fact that you two…well…"

"That we _what,_ Tomoyo? What are you talking about?"

"Oh for heaven's sake! Surely you two know that you're holding hands!" finished Eriol for Tomoyo.

Sakura and Syaoran looked at where their hands were. They went wide-eyed. Sure enough, their hands were still intertwined together. How could they not have known?!? They immediately let go of one another and went completely and utterly scarlet. Both Tomoyo and Eriol were looking at them expectantly. Well, Tomoyo was thinking more along the lines of, _Why didn't I bring my camera!?! I'm such a baka! _Meanwhile, the two in question were trying to say…something.

"I…um…"

"We…uh…were…"

"And…we…"

"We saw a deer!" Sakura stammered finally, changing the subject the only way she knew how. Tomoyo and Eriol face-vaulted.

"And Sakura found out that her magic is more powerful now," said Syaoran, trying to help her out. Of course, he still remembered vividly how they had come to that discovery, but he omitted that part for obvious reasons.

"Oh?" asked Eriol, in slight curiosity. "And how did this come about?"

"It just did. And I just knew," said Sakura rapidly. "So what about you guys? How was your nature walk?" she demanded of Tomoyo and Eriol with a weak smile, praying that the two would just drop it. Reluctantly, they decided not to press into matters any further. They knew that when the time was right, the two would eventually admit their feelings towards each other. They had, of course, been hoping that it would transpire during their walk, but it didn't quite happen.

And so, Tomoyo and Eriol made up an interesting story about things that they never saw because they had been too engrossed in each other to notice anything else. Sakura and Syaoran, now walking on complete opposite sides of the trail from each other, merely nodded and smiled, not believing for a second that the other two were telling them the truth. But they didn't mind either, both relieved that their interrogation was over.

As they walked on, it got a little colder, a few innocent clouds forming in the sky and covering up the sun at times. But the weather was still pleasant, and the birds still sang. They soon reached the end of the trail, and out in front of them, grass and the lake. Directly across from the lake (which was quite a fair distance) they could vaguely make out their cabin on the other side.

"Wow. I didn't realize we had walked this far away," commented Tomoyo.

"Looks like we'll just have to follow the lake all the way around," deducted Syaoran.

So, they continued walking towards the lake, chatting about this and that. But most of all they were enjoying themselves and the time they had away from everything else.

"It feels so good to have nothing to worry about," said Eriol.

"Yeah. No school and no homework," agreed Sakura.

"No stress, no anxiety…No worries," sighed Tomoyo happily.

With that comment, the wind picked up a bit, and they noticed more clouds in the sky.

"Uh-oh," started Syaoran, "It looks as though it might…." And then a drop of water hit his outstretched hand. "Rain," he finished.

"Oh, it's just a little sprinkle," said Sakura, "Stop worrying."

Of course, she regretted ever saying that. Thirty seconds later, the sky opened up and it was pouring like there was no tomorrow.

"Just a little sprinkle, Sakura!?!"

"Okay! So I was wrong. There's nothing we can do about it now!"

They began jogging along the pebbly shore of the lake in hopes of reaching their cabin a little quicker. Syaoran took a quick glance in Sakura's direction. Her hair was thoroughly soaked, some strands sticking to her face, and others trailing behind her as she jogged. Once again, he couldn't believe how beautiful she was even when drenched to the core.

They had to slow their pace as they reached an area where they had to climb over some jagged rocks. They were all wet and slippery, so it made it difficult to get over. But they were all eager to get to the cabin as soon as possible. They were almost through with that obstacle when Sakura suddenly lost her footing and slipped. She cried out in pain as her right leg was gashed by a sharp rock on the way down.

"Sakura! Are you okay?" Tomoyo asked, with worry evident in her features.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just a little cut. Can you help me up?" she replied, hiding the fact that her leg was throbbing with intense pain. Her open wound was bleeding profusely.

"Are you sure you can walk on it? It looks pretty bad."

"Yeah, it'll be fine," Sakura assured Tomoyo. And so, Tomoyo helped her friend to her feet. But as Sakura tried to take a few steps, her leg seemingly collapsed beneath her.

Sakura braced herself for an impact on the hard ground below, but it never came. Instead, she was aware of being held up in someone's strong arms. She turned her head and came face to face with Syaoran who must have reluctantly caught her. Once again, their eyes locked and they stared at each other, forgetting for a moment that they were standing in the pouring rain.

"Thanks," Sakura murmured, the heat rising to her cheeks.

"There's no way you're walking on that leg of yours."

"No, I think I'm okay now. You can put me down. Really."

"I don't think so." And with that he bent down and lifted her legs with his left arm, like he had when he carried her up to bed the night before, and began walking.

"Hey! Put me down, Syaoran!"

"Do you hear something?" asked Syaoran to Tomoyo and Eriol, sarcastically. The couple merely looked onto the scene with growing interest as the rain continued to pour.

Sakura crossed her arms and pouted. Syaoran chuckled at her. Suddenly, Tomoyo was struck with an idea.

"Hey! Eriol and I will run up to the cabin ahead of you to get some towels and medicine for Sakura's leg."

"You guys don't have to do that," Sakura said, somewhat fearing being alone in Syaoran's arms.

"Oh yes we do," Eriol assured her with a devious smirk. And the two ran off without letting Sakura get in another word.

And so, the injured Sakura sat embarrassed in Syaoran's arms.

"Gomen nasai, Syaoran, for causing you this trouble."

"It's not a problem."

She shifted slightly in his arms, now facing his chest a little more. Syaoran subconsciously held her a little closer as she rested her head against him. They could feel each other's hearts beat almost in unison. The rain continued to fall.

"Arigato for always being there for me, Syaoran. I'm glad I have you as a friend," she spoke into his soaking wet shirt.

__

Friends, Syaoran thought. Sure, he was glad that she was his friend, but he still wished they could be something more.

"I'm the one that should be thanking you," he began, "I was so mean to you when I was younger. Thanks for being so forgiving."

"That was a long time ago, Syaoran. You were just a stubborn kid who wasn't used to the idea of having a partner. You were in an unknown land with unknown people. Besides, I was always the one causing you trouble. You saved me from harm more times than I can count. You've always taken good care of me, and I'm lucky to have you."

"I'm still sorry for everything I put you through. I was so cruel to you, and yet you were the only one that thought I wasn't a bad person. I'm the lucky one."

She smiled, now content in his arms, feeling like there was no place safer in the world for her to be. And so she snuggled a little closer to him as he gazed down at her peaceful face. She beamed up to him and he smiled back. 

I know that's not the best place to leave off and I'm so, so sorry! And I'm sorry again for not getting this out any sooner. Like I said, I hope to have more out this week. Please review! You guys have been such great readers! I appreciate every comment! Thanks again!


	5. Games

She smiled, now content in his arms, feeling like there was no place safer in the world for her to be

Author's Note: I'm sorry, but I had previously thought that I might actually have more time to write this week. Of course, I was wrong. I'm sorry again for not getting this out as early as I had planned. Thank you for being so patient! And thanks again for the comments! 

__

She smiled now, content in his arms, feeling like there was no place safer in the world for her to be. And so she snuggled a little closer to him as he gazed down at her peaceful face. She beamed up to him and he smiled back. 

Summer cont'd

By: Shayna

They arrived at the cabin not too long after to be greeted by Tomoyo with a large, warm, fluffy towel. She draped it over Syaoran's shoulder, who removed it. He then helped Sakura to her feet, allowing her to use him as a brace, and wrapped her in the towel.

"I put it in the dryer for a few seconds so that it would be nice and cozy," said Tomoyo. She then brought Syaoran a towel for himself. He accepted this one gratefully and began drying himself off.

"Sakura, I brought some dry clothes down for you so you wouldn't have to go up the stairs on that leg. Why don't you change in the bathroom and then we'll clean your cut," suggested Tomoyo.

"Arigato. I think I can hobble my way over to the bathroom okay. Thanks again, Syaoran. You look like you could use a change of clothes yourself," she said, chuckling slightly.

Tomoyo handed her the dry clothes and she limped her way to the bathroom while Syaoran headed upstairs to get changed himself.

It took her a little while to change because she was trying to avoid getting blood on her clothes, but she eventually emerged from the bathroom a whole lot dryer. She was greeted by a waiting Syaoran (also a lot dryer) who offered himself as a support for her to make her way to the couch. There was already a washcloth and water there along with some disinfectant and bandages for her injured leg. Syaoran eased her down onto the couch and began cleaning her wound.

"That's really not necessary, Syaoran. I can do it myself."

"Nonsense! You're injured. You just sit back and relax."

"If you insist," she agreed, "Hey, where's Tomoyo and Eriol?"

"They're in the kitchen making some food. It should be ready pretty soon."

"Great! I'm starved!"

"Um…Sakura, this disinfectant may hurt a little bit."

"Don't worry, Syaoran. I'm no stranger to pain. You should know that!"

Still, she crinkled her nose in slight discomfort as he applied the disinfectant to her open gash. But soon the pain subsided and Syaoran finished by placing some gauze over the cut and securing it by wrapping some bandages around it.

"All done."

"Arigato, Syaoran. What would I do without you?" she asked as he propped her leg onto some pillows.

"You'll never have to do without me," he said, "I'll always be here for you."

"Promise?"

"Promise." She looked into his eyes and could see that he was sincere. She wouldn't have expected anything less.

"LUNCH!" called Tomoyo as she emerged from the kitchen with a tray of sandwiches, Eriol following close behind with some tea.

"Yum!" called Sakura back, "Bring it here! I'm famished."

"Yeah. I know it's a little late to be having lunch. The walk took way longer than I thought. Of course, I wasn't expecting getting stuck in the rain. But better late than never," said Tomoyo.

"I hope you guys like the tea. It should warm you right up," added Eriol.

"Arigato!" exclaimed Sakura.

Grateful for the food and tea, the four ate, chatting lightheartedly about nothing particularly special. Tomoyo began wandering the living room, opening and closing shelf cabinets. She soon came upon a whole cabinet full of board games and other party entertainment.

"Wow you guys! Look at all these games!"

"So, you wanna play something?" asked Eriol.

"I guess we have nothing better to do," answered Syaoran.

"What kind of games are in there, Tomoyo?" asked Eriol.

"You name it and it's probably here." She then began to name some off, "Scrabble, Twister, Monopoly, Taboo, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Pictionary, Ch…"

"Ooooh! Pictionary!" cried Sakura in delight, "I love that game!"

(Disclaimer: I don't own any of the games listed above. Please don't sue me. Thanks!)

"I don't mind Pictionary," remarked Eriol.

"Pictionary it is. Unless, of course, Syaoran has anything against us playing. Syaoran?" asked Tomoyo.

"Oh don't let me get in the way of your fun."

"Good. Eriol and I will be on a team. Sakura, you and Syaoran are a team. We'll flip a coin to see who goes first."

A coin toss and a few rounds later, Eriol and Tomoyo were nearly rolling on the ground with laughter.

"Look at the picture, Syaoran! It's not that hard!" Sakura had already drawn a donut and a glass that was half full as well as other object that had been cut in half. So, Syaoran successfully had the words "donut" and "half" as part of his phrase. However, the last picture was not exactly as…basic as a donut or an object cut in half, and Syaoran was struggling with it.

"Can you draw it in any other way?" he asked.

"No! Look at it…Wait! I know." She quickly drew an addition to her sketch.

"COW! It's a cow!" Syaoran shouted.

"Yes! Now put it together!"

"Donut half cow?" At this point, Tomoyo's eyes were tearing. She and Eriol had long ago figured it out, and there was Syaoran, future leader of the Li Clan, just sitting there stumped, without a clue in the world.

"Come on, Syaoran! You've got the words. Put them together!" she was desperately beckoning him to answer because she could see their time running out.

"Don't have a cow, Sakura! Just because I can't…"

"THAT'S IT!" she cried happily.

"Nani?"

"What you said!"

"Don't have a…OH! DON'T HAVE A COW!!!"

"Yea! You got it!" Then she turned to Tomoyo and Eriol, "He got it! I told you he'd get it."

"Took you long enough," commented Eriol to Syaoran.

"Well, if Sakura's cow hadn't…"

"Hey, don't blame it on my drawing. It's not my fault you don't know what a cow looks like," she accused.

"It looks nothing like a cow! If it weren't for you adding on the utters…"

"Hey! I think that's the best cow I've ever drawn, so don't make fun of it."

"In that case, I sure hope it's the _only_ cow you've ever drawn," added Eriol, who promptly got a pillow flung at him.

"I resent that!" she hollered.

"You know, considering that you chose this game, I thought you'd be a little better at it," Syaoran said, knowing this would make Sakura fume. He thought she was absolutely adorable when she was mad. Well, only when she was mad at her friends or brother for being so annoying. When she got mad at an enemy, like a Clow Card, it was downright scary. The look she could get in her eyes when she was angry was enough to make you turn pale and run in fear. Under her stone-cold gaze, you could feel as though you were only one inch tall. She was incredibly powerful when she was determined. That's what made her such an amazing warrior. But for right now she was only thoroughly annoyed, and to him, it was cute. Easily anticipating her reaction, Syaoran dodged an airborne pillow.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that if you want to hit me," he taunted.

"You asked for it."

"You know, Tomoyo, considering that you design clothes, I was expecting better drawings from you, too," commented Eriol. This of course, got him pillow to the face from Tomoyo.

Meanwhile, Sakura was using all her energy to try and get Syaoran with the pillow she clutched tightly in her hand. Syaoran, of course, was fighting back with his own pillow. The two dodged each other's blows like they were professionals. Neither of them had been hit…yet.

"OW! My leg!" cried Sakura as she tried to run around the room after Syaoran. She collapsed onto the floor. He came to her aid, worried that he may have been the cause of further injury. He crouched down close to her, about to ask her if she was all right. But before he could blink, all he saw was white, as she mauled him right across the face with her pillow. He was knocked off balance and landed on the floor with a thud.

"Gotcha!" she cried gleefully.

"That was evil!" he argued, "You'll pay for that one," he exclaimed with a playful grin.

On the other side of the room, Eriol and Tomoyo were enjoying themselves just as much, laughing as one hit the other. They were running all over the room, nearly breaking things and knocking paintings off the wall. Tomoyo was screeching as he chased after her, and he was finding it completely entertaining.

Meanwhile, Syaoran was after Sakura for that trick she played on him. But he no longer held a pillow, which made her suspicious. Nonetheless, she hammered him as much as she could with the pillow she still held. However, this was all part of Syaoran's plan. In an unexpected move, he gripped her pillow and tugged with all his might. She nearly came flying at him, but he easily caught her in his strong hold.

"This is for that nasty trick, and for yesterday when you wouldn't stop tickling me," he stated simply.

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?

"No?" she pleaded with him.

"All's fair in love and war," he said.

Then he launched his attack. Sakura was giggling beyond control as he tickled her relentlessly. Unbeknownst to either of them, their auras were mixing slightly. It was quite the phenomena. It was as though they were sharing a part of themselves with the other. But they both knew that it felt comforting and warm, because they could definitely feel that. They just didn't know what the source of it was.

"Matte!" she cried in between laughs. But he wouldn't stop. Not for anything. That gorgeous smile of hers was plastered across her face and he couldn't get enough of it. She finally fell to the floor in a fit of giggles. He promptly pinned her before she could wriggle her way from his grasp.

"This time," he started, "I win!"

"All right! All right! You win!" she gasped, still laughing. "Would you just please stop tickling me!" He thought for a moment.

"Well, since you said please." It was then that the two noticed that the other half of the room had gone silent. When they glanced up, they saw none other than Tomoyo holding her camera with a huge grin plastered across her face. Behind her stood Eriol, with an equally smug expression.

"Hoe!" cried Sakura as she scrambled up.

"Classic!" she heard Tomoyo whisper at the scene.

"Well, I'm beat!" exclaimed Sakura, once again trying to change the subject. "I think I'll head up to bed now."

"Yeah. Me, too," agreed Syaoran, eager to exit the room and escape from Tomoyo and her camera. So the two hurried up the stairs, fleeing the scene as fast as they could.

"We'll be up a little later," called Eriol, giving Tomoyo a sly look. She blushed, knowing that they would have the entire first floor to themselves. The first floor, of course, included the couch.

"You might want to change the dressing on that cut of yours, Sakura," suggested Syaoran.

"You're right," she agreed.

"I'll go back downstairs and get the bandages."

"Arigato, Syaoran!"

He proceeded downstairs, but when he was halfway down, he heard some…noises coming from the couch. So he cleared his throat extra loud, to inform the two that he was coming down the stairs. He heard a quick scramble as Eriol and Tomoyo got situated respectably on the couch.

"I just came down for the bandages," said Syaoran to a slightly disoriented Eriol and Tomoyo. When he had retrieved them, he zipped out of there in a flash. When he returned upstairs, he found Sakura, lying on her bed watching TV quietly. She looked up as she felt him getting nearer and was not surprised when he suddenly appeared at her door. She smiled at him. He smiled back. He then approached the bed slowly, as if cautioning himself from doing…something.

"You know, you really don't have to do all of this for me, Syaoran. I can do it myself. I don't want to be any kind of problem." He sat down on the bed next to her and looked her in the eye. She stared right back, wondering what he might say.

"You're never my problem, Sakura. I get worried about you when you get hurt."

"You care about me?"

"Of course I care about you! I care more about you than you may think."

"Really?"

"Would I ever lie to you, Sakura?" She shook her head and smiled at him again.

"Arigato," she said. He then began to unwrap her old bandages.

"Well, it looks like your cut has gotten substantially better. You know, the more powerful your magic, the quicker you heal. You'll probably be as good as new by tomorrow morning." Instead of reapplying new gauze, Syaoran simply put a large Band-Aid over her quickly healing wound. 

"Thanks again, Syaoran."

"My pleasure. If you need anything, I'll be in my room. Oh, and I wouldn't advise you on going downstairs. Tomoyo and Eriol…well, they're down there."

"Thanks for the warning," she giggled, knowing exactly what he meant. "Hey, Syaoran," she added hesitantly, "If you want, you can stay in here. We can just watch TV or something."

"Sure," he said, feeling slightly uncertain, but at the same time being overjoyed at her invitation. So he laid down next to her as she flipped through the channels.

"Cool! HBO!" she cried gleefully.

"I love 'The Shawshank Redemption.' It's such a good movie," said Syaoran, happy that she had chosen that channel. (Disclaimer: I don't own HBO or "The Shawshank Redemption". Please don't sue me. Thanks!)

They were watching somewhat stiffly on the bed when Sakura absent-mindedly leaned her head against his shoulder. He adjusted his arm, putting it around her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And so they watched in peace, their auras mixing, content being in each other's arms. Sakura sighed happily and began to doze off with a slight smile on her face, being lulled into slumber by the comfort and warmth beside her. Outside, the rain had stopped, and the sky was clearing.

Whoo! I finally finished this chapter. I've been working on and off on it for the entire week, and I finally found a nice spot to stop. I hope you liked it! Once again, thanks for all of your wonderful comments. I really appreciate the feedback. Well, I hope to get out more as soon as I can! Thanks!


	6. Sleepless Night

They were watching somewhat stiffly on the bed when Sakura absent-mindedly leaned her head against his shoulder

Author's Note: Hi minna! Is everyone ready for the next chapter? (Dodge's tomato) Alright already, here it is!

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They were watching somewhat stiffly on the bed when Sakura absent-mindedly leaned her head against his shoulder. He adjusted his arm, putting it around her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And so they watched in peace, their auras mixing, content being in each other's arms. Sakura sighed happily and began to doze off with a slight smile on her face, being lulled into slumber by the comfort and warmth beside her. Outside, the rain had stopped, and the sky was clearing.

Summer cont'd

By: Shayna

Sakura woke with a start. She had just had a terrible nightmare. It wasn't a premonition, she could tell that, but it was a nightmare nonetheless, and it had shaken her. A thin layer of perspiration gleamed on her brow as she took in her surroundings once more. This time, she was where she had been before, just under the covers. To her left was Tomoyo, who must have snuck in earlier that night so she wouldn't wake her. Sakura then glanced at the clock. It was 2:30 in the morning.

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Perfect time for a flight, she thought to herself. She felt that she needed to get some fresh air to clear her mind from that horrid dream. She headed for the double French doors and opened them gracefully. She took a breath of the fresh night air and sighed aloud. The clouds had cleared and left everything crisp and new. She then noticed a slight tugging from her magical senses. It felt…green.

She turned her head quickly and was met by the surprised gaze of Syaoran.

"What are you doing here?" they both asked simultaneously. They then chuckled slightly, amused at their same train of thought.

"I'm never asleep at this hour. I usually come out for some fresh air," spoke Syaoran.

"I needed some air, too" said Sakura, "I had a troubling dream."

"A premonition?" His expression was more serious now.

"No, just a stupid nightmare. I wanted to come out here and try to forget about it. I was going to take a short flight." She paused for a moment and then added, "Would you like to come along?"

"Me?"

"No, the other Syaoran standing next to you," she answered sarcastically, "Of course you!"

"I guess. I mean, if you want to be alone, I can just go inside."

"No, it's okay. I could probably use some company. Anyway, you most likely haven't been flying for quite some time now. It's about time you get back off your feet." She then took out her key and summoned her wand and "The Fly" card. Soon enough, she was ready to go. She reached out her hand, silently asking Syaoran to come with her.

What else could he do? Her presence alone made him bend to her will. He was powerless when it came to her. So he reluctantly took her hand and boarded the wand. Without warning, she kicked off the ground and gathered some serious speed in a matter of only a few short seconds. He was caught off guard and gripped her waste lightly on instinct. She jumped a little, surprised by his touch.

"Gomen, ne," he muttered, blushing.

"It's okay. You're just not used to the speed."

He slowly eased his grip, but was still impressed at her flying. She was pulling all kinds of stunts that he had never before witnessed while battling a Clow Card.

__

She must do this pretty often, he thought to himself. He was amazed at how well she was doing. And she was loving it! 

"It really is beautiful," she murmured.

"Yeah."

After she made a few rounds, she descended slightly, right over the lake. The full moon reflecting off of the water gave the two a silvery outline. To him, it was as though she radiated pure beauty. She descended ever closer to the water, and then turned the front of the wand up slightly. The back of the wand dragged over the water slowly, creating a cascade trailing out behind them. She sighed blissfully, which made him smile. Then, she made her way back to the balcony and landed them down gently.

"That probably wasn't the most exciting thing that you've ever done," she started, "but I'm glad you came with me. You're the only one that's ever flown with me before other than Tomoyo."

"I feel honored," he said and mock-bowed to her. She hit him lightly.

"I was just making a point. I don't see you with the power to fly."  
"Aw, that was below the belt," he pouted, trying shamelessly to make her feel sorry for him. Of course she didn't, but he was expecting that. "But I really did have a good time, even though we didn't say much."

With that, the two leaned their weight against the balcony, side by side, staring out at the forest, the lake, the sky, the stars, the moon. The moon was especially bright that night, and it cast a warm glow upon them. Syaoran looked up at Sakura and was met by her eyes. She had already been staring at him.

"I like being with you, Syaoran."

"Me, too."

They both realized that they were getting dangerously close to each other, but neither of them cared.

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This is it, Sakura, she thought to herself. _It's now or never. Just tell him!_

They both began to lean slightly closer to each other, their lips mere inches away.

__

This is it, Syaoran, he thought to himself. _It's now or never. Just do it!_

They were both looking straight into each other's eyes. The moment seemed to last for an eternity. Neither wanted to move, but just to stay like that, gazing at each other. Syaoran was sure that Sakura could hear his heart beating a thousand times per second, and Sakura was sure that Syaoran noticed how much she must have been blushing.

"Syaoran," she started hesitantly, "I need to tell you something. I…"

But before she could go on any further, he closed the gap between their lips. The kiss was short, but tantalizingly sweet. When he pulled away, she was just staring at him.

__

Baka! What have you done! What if she never wants to speak to you again?

"I…um," he started. But he couldn't finish before she leaned into him and kissed him the same. It was the identical feeling as before. Brief, but perfectly appealing. When she pulled away, they stared at each other once more.

When he leaned in again, she did as well. And this time, the kiss was much more passionate. His arms snaked around her waist and she clutched his shirt to keep her legs from falling underneath her. It was as though the whole world exploded into some brilliant light and the two were the only ones left on earth standing in it. Their auras burst to life with brilliant color, blending and mixing with one another. The warmth of it all was absolutely incredible, and both felt it equally as strong. It was like heaven on earth. Complete and utter bliss.

They eventually pulled away for some air, and were left gasping slightly from lack of oxygen.

"That was nice," breathed Sakura.

"Yeah," he agreed. Then, couldn't hold it back any longer. He had to tell her. 

"Sakura, I care about you more than I care about anyone in the whole world. Ever since I met you, you have been the one right thing in my life. I get up in the morning just to see you. I don't know what I would ever do without you…I…I love you, Kinomoto Sakura."

She just stared at him. Surprised by his sudden display of emotion. But then her own emotions took over.

"Syaoran…I…don't know what to say. I had no idea that you felt like that. But…I'm so glad…because I love you too, Li Syaoran."

And with that, they kissed again; a long, fervent kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Tomoyo awoke to find that she was in an empty bed. _Strange,_ she thought, _Sakura's never usually awake early by choice._ And yet, there was no Sakura there, as there had been the night before.

Curious, Tomoyo wandered downstairs to find Eriol on the couch reading a book. Wonderful smells were coming from the kitchen.

"Is Syaoran cooking us breakfast again?" she asked.

"Well, good morning to you, too, my love!" Eriol greeted her. "And yes, Syaoran is in the kitchen cooking breakfast with Sakura."

"Oooh! Where's my cam…" but before she could finish, Eriol held up her camera, fully loaded and charged. She scurried over to get it, pecked him lightly on the lips and murmured a simple, "Ohayo!" before hurrying off.

When she arrived at her hiding spot by the swinging door, she peeked through and saw Syaoran and Sakura standing side by side over the stove. Sakura was giggling about something and Syaoran poked her side. She burst into another fit of giggles. Tomoyo could hardly contain herself.

Suddenly, Sakura stiffened slightly and bent over to whisper something in Syaoran's ear. He grinned widely. At this point, Tomoyo was practically falling over. She only wished she knew what they were talking about. _I shall call this little episode, 'The Secret.'_

While talking with Syaoran, Sakura had, of course, sensed Tomoyo's presence, so she formulated a quick plan in her head. She leaned over to Syaoran and whispered to him.

"Tomoyo's over by the door spying on us like yesterday," she started. "You know how she's always bothering us with her camera? Well why don't we keep the fact that we're together a secret and absolutely agonize her?"

Syaoran grinned widely. He liked the sound of that. After all that Tomoyo had put them through, it was time for her to get a taste of her own medicine.

"Breakfast is almost ready, Eriol! Is Tomoyo up yet?" Syaoran called carelessly into the living room.

"She probably is now that you've woken all the other forest creatures with your deafening voice!" Eriol half-lied, covering for Tomoyo who was rapidly tromping away from her spying grounds.

Sakura shot Syaoran a smirk. Knowing fully well that they had scared Tomoyo from her hiding place, Syaoran pulled her in for a quick kiss. She grinned. Sakura then got all the plates out and set the table. Syaoran served equal portions of scrambled eggs, waffles, bacon, and toast to everyone. Sakura poured the orange juice. (AN: Yes, I know, it's completely an American breakfast, but I'm not quite sure what they eat for breakfast in Japan, and the above food happens to sound quite appetizing to me at the moment.)

A few minutes later, Eriol and Tomoyo sauntered into the kitchen and took their seats.

"So," Tomoyo began, "what brings you up so early this morning, Sakura?"

"Do I have to have a reason to want to see the sun rise?"  
"You were up at dawn?!?"

"Don't act so surprised, Tomoyo. It's not everyday that I'm up in such an area as this!"

"I know, I just never thought that you'd ever willingly wake yourself before the sun!"

Sakura then stuck her tongue out at Tomoyo and proceeded with the meal. Of course, she was thinking of a few hours earlier when she sat snuggled in Syaoran's arms, watching the sun peek above the horizon and cast it's reflection over the lake. It had been the most peaceful moment she could remember in a long time. They didn't say anything to each other, they just sat together, cozy in the other's arms, in the company of nature.

"So, what do you guys want to do today?" asked Eriol.

"I actually thought it might be fun to go out on row boats," suggested Syaoran nonchalantly. Tomoyo raised an eyebrow at Eriol, whose expression matched hers exactly. It seemed suspicious to both of them that Syaoran suggest such a…well…sappy thing to do.

"We can all fit in one boat, right?" asked Sakura, pretending that she didn't want to be alone on a small boat with Syaoran.

"Um…we'll see," said Tomoyo, now only thinking about getting some more alone time with Eriol. She brushed aside the fact that Syaoran had suggested the boat ride and was now solely concentrated on putting it into effect. 

Yes, I know, it's not the longest chapter I've written, but it's eventful. I just wanted to get this out to you before I lost any readers, as it may be the last chapter I get out for a while. I'm going to be extremely, super-duper, totally, fully, absolutely, thoroughly, completely, and utterly busy for the next week and a half or so (I'm involved in waaaaaay too many activities) so don't expect very much for a while. I have like a bajillion school projects and I'm up to my head in after-school events, so my free time is going to be non-existent for a little while. (Kami-sama, I can't wait for summer!) But I _do _hope you enjoyed this installment, and I would LOVE some reviews. Thanks again to all those who have been faithful readers! I appreciate every comment! Bye for now!


	7. In the Water

"We can all fit in one boat, right

Author's Note: I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but you were forewarned. Since I'm sure you're eager to read more, I will prevent you no further. Enjoy!

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"We can all fit in one boat, right?" asked Sakura, pretending that she didn't want to be alone on a small boat with Syaoran.

"Um…we'll see," said Tomoyo, now only thinking about getting some more alone time with Eriol. She brushed aside the fact that Syaoran had suggested the boat ride and was now solely concentrated on putting it into effect. 

Summer cont'd

By: Shayna

Both Sakura and Syaoran knew that Tomoyo would be watching their every move. They were weary of her constantly trying to get them together. And now, in an ironic twist of fate, they were together and she didn't even know it! If they were to keep up this charade much longer, they would have to be _very_ careful of every move that they made. They wouldn't be able to say anything even to imply that there was something going on. Sure, it would be hard, but the look on Tomoyo's face when she found out that they were together and that she was completely oblivious to it would make it all worthwhile. Or so they hoped.

After breakfast, Tomoyo was convincing everyone that it would be a great idea to go out on a boat ride.

"It will be wonderful! We can be one-on-one with nature! It will be so peaceful!" She went on and on and on and on.

"But Tomoyo, we don't even have a boat!" Sakura said, once again pretending that she didn't really want to go. But now that she thought about it, they really didn't have a boat, and she really did want to go. She was truly hoping that Tomoyo had a solution for this problem.

"Oh yes we do! I scoped two of them out last night in the basement with Eriol."

"What were you doing in the basement?" asked Sakura, knowing perfectly well what had most likely gone on down there.

"That's not the point," hurried Tomoyo, desperate to change the subject. "The point is that we found them, and we'll use them."

"Two?" asked Syaoran. "Do we need two? I thought we were going to all go together."

"Well…you see…it's just that…well…they're kind of…small. And I just think we have to use what we've got to work with. After all, how many chances do you have to rowboat on a lake with no one else around?"

Sakura looked skeptical, but eventually "gave in."

"All right. I suppose we can go."

"Great!" squealed Tomoyo. "All we have to do is carry the boats down to the lake!"

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"Great idea, Tomoyo!" screamed Sakura sarcastically as she was struggling with half of the boat. It normally wouldn't have been quite so difficult, be she could still feel minimal pain in her leg from the fall she took the day before. Eriol and Tomoyo were under one boat, while Sakura and Syaoran were carrying the other to the lake. The boats were above their heads, as that was the least awkward way to haul them down, but they were still extremely heavy.

"It's (umph!) just (ugh!) a little (hmph!) farther!" cried Tomoyo, even though she felt that she couldn't go on any longer. The boats were way heavier than they looked!

"This better be worth it, Daidouji!" hollered an angered Syaoran over to her.

"Oh great," muttered Tomoyo to herself, "now we're back to the last-name basis." Eriol merely chuckled.

"What are _you _laughing about, Eriol. This is no walk in the park!" Tomoyo admitted, but only loud enough for Eriol to hear.

"Actually, my dear, it's more of a walk in the meadow on the way to the lake."

"If I could, I would pound you right now, but I'm busy carrying a two-ton boat over my head!" she hissed.

"You wouldn't pound me."

"Oh?"

"Of course not. You would kiss me."

"Don't flatter yourself," she huffed.

"That proves it then. You want to kiss me."

But it wasn't much longer until they reached the shore, exhausted. They sat there panting for a while, not saying anything. But Syaoran gazed over to Sakura and smiled at her playfully, anticipating being alone, separated by a great distance of water from anyone else. She smiled right back. This, luckily, went unnoticed by the worn out Daidouji Tomoyo, who was just barely getting her strength back.

When they were good and rested, the four flipped their boats over and slowly started to slide them into the water. Tomoyo and Eriol clambered into theirs while Sakura and Syaoran leaped agilely into theirs. They all gripped their oars and pushed off the ground. Soon enough, they were off.

The lake was big, but not that big. No matter where you went, you could always see the rest of the lake and the people in it, so Sakura and Syaoran knew that they couldn't get too close. However, Tomoyo and Eriol rowed off a descent distance to the point where they could talk freely without being disturbed.

"So…how long do you think we should keep this up?" asked Sakura.

"I don't know. I'm surprised Tomoyo hasn't suspected anything yet."

"I know. But, Syaoran…I don't like the fact that I can't be close to you while they are around."

"Me neither. Sakura, I want to be able to hold you close the whole day."

She blushed slightly, unable to say anything after that. She just looked at him. His eyes stared right back at hers. Time seemed to stop, and they were unaware that they were beginning to lean closer to one another. Closer, closer, closer…Their eyes suddenly went wide and their heads simultaneously snapped in the direction of Tomoyo's boat. They both let out a sigh of relief that Tomoyo and Eriol were…preoccupied.

"That was…close."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a while. Both longing for the warm hold of the other.

"I don't think I can take this any longer, Syaoran." He smirked at her.

"Nani? What are you thinking, Syaoran." He glanced down over the side of the boat and into the water. Her eyes questioned him but in a flash understood what he was implying. A devilish grin came across her face, too.

They both slowly started to rock the boat. Back and forth, back and forth. Soon enough they gained enough momentum. Syaoran stood up, and Sakura let out a fake shriek, grabbing the attention of both Tomoyo and Eriol. All at once, she was consumed with water, and the boat was tipped upside down, floating on the surface.

Sakura and Syaoran both gasped for air as they emerged underneath the upturned boat. Before either of them could think, they went for each other and their lips were enclosed in a hard kiss, full of built up desire.

When they finally came apart for air, Sakura whispered, "We better head up or they'll get worried." Syaoran nodded in agreement, but just as she was about to go under, he held her back and lifted off her necklace.

"Tell them it fell off and you have to go look for it." She grinned, anticipating their next quick meeting under the boat. When she emerged above the water she called over to Tomoyo and Eriol who were making their way over.

"Stop!" she cried loudly. "I lost my key pendant and I don't want your oars to move it around. I have to find it!"

"Where's Syaoran?" called Tomoyo.

"I'm right here!" A faint cry could be heard on the other side of the upturned boat and a hand waving in the air confirmed that Syaoran was indeed on the other side.

"Don't come any closer," Sakura continued, "the currents from your boat might carry it away."

On the other side of the boat, Syaoran was impressed at Sakura's acting and the fact that she figured a way to keep both Tomoyo and Eriol away from their boat. As soon as he heard Sakura call that she was going under again, he went back under as well. They met again in the small cavern that the boat had created. Sakura smiled brightly and giggled.

"Brilliant!" he exclaimed, but softly so that Tomoyo and Eriol wouldn't get suspicious. They came together again for a smoldering kiss that sent shivers down both of their spines. At that moment, the two knew only each other. They forgot that they were underneath a boat, soaking wet, and treading water. The kiss was long, deep, and full of passion. When they broke apart, they were gasping for air.

"Here," Syaoran managed to breathe. He handed her the pendant.

"Thanks," she whispered and then ducked back under the water, only to emerge once more on the other side.

"I found it!" she cried gleefully.

"Good," sighed Tomoyo, relieved. "Where's Syaoran now?" At that very second, Syaoran popped up right beside Sakura, catching her completely by surprise.

"Don't DO that! You scared me half to death!" she screeched at him. 

"There's this thing called air! I needed some!" exclaimed Syaoran.

Eriol and Tomoyo just laughed as the two quibbled on, having more fun than neither Tomoyo nor Eriol expected.

"So should we pick them up? Or just leave them there?" asked Eriol.

"It's tempting, but it would only be right if we picked them up," she replied, "…in a little while," she added with a smirk. Suddenly, they heard only silence. They looked over to Sakura and Syaoran who were now glaring at them.

"What?" asked Tomoyo, bewildered at their sudden change of expression.

"Well, aren't you two gonna come pick us up?" shouted Sakura in a contemptuous tone. Eriol and Tomoyo were still a descent distance away, and both she and Syaoran were tired of treading water and being soaking wet.

"My, my!" exclaimed Eriol, "no even a _please?_"

"Aren't you gonna come pick us up?…please," Sakura muttered.

"Oh! Well since you asked so nicely. I suppose we could lend two of our friends a hand. What do you say, Tomoyo?"

"I don't know, it seemed that she was acting rude to us, Eriol."

"Yes…she was…" Eriol was pretending to be pondering such a thought.

"Hiragizawa! Come pick us up right now!" shouted Syaoran, fed up with the situation.

"Oh, well now I have second thoughts, after that outburst of yours, Syaoran," stated Eriol.

"That's enough!" cried Sakura. She summoned her wand. "Float Card! Release and dispel! Float!" She grabbed Syaoran's hand and they were consumed into a bubble and lifted into the air. "We'll see you back at the cabin," she stated simply. And with that, they took off like a shot towards land.

Tomoyo and Eriol just looked at each other, slightly shocked. They could just barely make out Sakura and Syaoran as they landed gently onto the shore and began running for the cabin. They were like two specks of sand in the distance getting farther and farther away with each passing moment. _Those two are gonna get it for leaving us here like this,_ vowed Tomoyo to herself. Just then, she felt warm kisses on her neck.

"Oh…" she exclaimed surprised.

"We're alone now," whispered Eriol into her ear. It sent shivers down her spine and a sly grin across her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sakura and Syaoran touched down onto the ground rather gracefully, but they felt anything but graceful. They were drenched. Their hair was matted to their faces and their clothes were soaked through. They both looked at each other. Then a smug expression came across Syaoran's face.

"Race you to the cabin!" he exclaimed and he was off.

"Not again!" yelped Sakura as she began a mad-dash to catch him. She finally did catch up with him, but they were still a ways from the cabin. Then she pulled ahead. Then he caught up. Then he pulled ahead. Then she caught up. It was like that until they could see the cabin door.

They were all-out sprinting, but had huge smiles one their faces. They were closing in on the door at a rapid pace. Syaoran pulled ahead and finally beat her to the door. They were both completely out of breath. Syaoran leaned in close.

"I win." And with that, he pulled her into a deep kiss. But it was broken quickly, as the two still needed to catch their breath. But soon enough, they were kissing each other fiercely. Their auras burst brilliantly to life. They began stumbling around the room, discarding their wet shoes and socks.

Syaoran's kisses slowly began to move downward, and reached her neck. They became a little gentler, as they both began to catch their breath once more.

"Mmmm…" purred Sakura. "Syaoran…" she whispered into his ear. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment. She knew where this would eventually lead, though, if they kept it up for very much longer.

"We should probably dry off, Syaoran," she said, stepping away slightly.

"Yeah…you'll definitely need to get out of those wet clothes," he replied suggestively.

"Syaoran!" she exclaimed with a sly grin of her own. "Not now," she added playfully.

"Are you suggesting that maybe later?"

"Perhaps…" she trailed off, and then continued, "But really, Syaoran, Tomoyo and Eriol could come back at any moment, and now is not the time to get carried away."

He pouted. Then the two headed upstairs and into separate rooms to dry off and change. When Sakura emerged, she could hear the TV on downstairs. She somewhat skipped down the steps to find Syaoran by himself on the couch.

"Are they back yet?" she asked.

"Nope. I can still just barely make out their boat on the water. That means…"

"A little more time for us," Sakura finished for him. And then she hopped onto the couch next to him and snuggled in under his arm. She rested her head against his chest, inhaling his fresh autumn sent. He held her close, breathing in her sweet fragrance of cherry blossoms and vanilla. He planted a single kiss on her forehead. There seemed to be nothing more peaceful for the two than lounging comfortably in each other's arms.

That's all for now! I'm sorry that it took so long to get this out, but like I said, I have been more than super busy this past week or so. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write this upcoming week, so I have no idea when the next chapter will be out. I will, of course, get it out as soon as I possibly can, but I don't know when that will be. Thanks again for being such great reviewers. I really hope you've enjoyed the story so far. As always, I am open to all questions, comments, suggestions, criticisms, and (yes) even flames. That's all for now! 


	8. Revelations

"Are they back yet

Author's Note: I got a new chapter out pretty quickly, ne? Well, it's quick for me. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. Don't worry, there's still more to come!

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"Are they back yet?" she asked.

"Nope. I can still just barely make out their boat on the water. That means…"

"A little more time for us," Sakura finished for him. And then she hopped onto the couch next to him and snuggled in under his arm. She rested her head against his chest, inhaling his fresh autumn sent. He held her close, breathing in her sweet fragrance of cherry blossoms and vanilla. He planted a single kiss on her forehead. There seemed to be nothing more peaceful for the two than lounging comfortably in each other's arms.

Summer cont'd

By: Shayna

Sakura and Syaoran were completely at peace. It seemed that for those moments, nothing in the world could bother them. Nothing could disturb them from the utter serenity of their time together. Of course that was nothing except Tomoyo and Eriol returning from their own boat ride.

"Great," muttered Syaoran sarcastically after only 20 minutes alone with Sakura. "They're starting to head into shore."

"Figures," sighed Sakura defeatedly. Not wanting to take any chances, the two snuggled and shared some kisses for just a moment and then separated to opposite sides of the couch. They kept glancing at each other, sharing conversations with their eyes. About five minutes later, Tomoyo and Eriol came bursting through the front door.

"I can't believe you just left us out there with your boat! Do you know how much work it was to retrieve it and bring it back to shore?" shouted Tomoyo.

"I didn't see you guys taking much effort to come after us when we left," answered Syaoran. 

"Besides," started Sakura, "you were being stubborn in offering us your assistance. We couldn't just sit there soaking in the water until you guys decided to get mature," she retorted simply.

Tomoyo's eyes widened a little, but Eriol stroked her arm to calm her down.

"In any case, we left the two boats down there for you guys to take up. And there will be no arguing because we will just flat out refuse to do it!" Tomoyo huffed. "We're going upstairs. You two stay down here and think about what you've done."

"Yes, mother," Sakura commented dryly. Tomoyo was about to retort when she felt Eriol take her hand and tug her upstairs. Her attention was immediately diverted in his direction, forgetting that she was worried about anything else. When she was out of ear shot, Sakura and Syaoran burst out laughing.

"Come on," Sakura stated to Syaoran, "Let's go bring in the boats."

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"So, don't you think this has gone on long enough?" asked Sakura.

"I suppose so. I want to be openly affectionate with you," he said as he poke her sides lightly. She giggled in response.

"How do you think we should go about announcing it?" asked Sakura.

"Well, we want her to be surprised. And angry. And frustrated that she couldn't catch it on tape." 

"So maybe we shouldn't announce it at all?" she suggested with a twisted little smile playing on her face.

"I think you're on the right track," he said slyly just as they reached the boats.

"Watch this!" she said as she summoned the Float card once again. "Float, follow us with these boats!" she called. The float card engulfed the two boats into a bubble and as Sakura and Syaoran walked back to the cabin, the boats floated behind them.

"Impressive," Syaoran commented. "But isn't it taking up quite a bit of energy?"

"Yeah," she started, "but I need to start working at it more so that I can doing without concentrating so much," she said, her voice slightly out of breath. 

"Why didn't you do this when we had to lug the boats down to the water?" he asked.

"I thought it would be nice if I tried to strengthen my muscles as well as my magic," she replied. "Considering that I tackled you on the stairs the other day, I'm thinking that I'm doing pretty good in the muscles department."

"Don't be so sure. I beat you to the cabin."

"Yeah, but my leg is still slightly injured."

"Excuses, excuses," he muttered. She giggled.

Syaoran truly was impressed at her increasing strength and ability to control the cards. She was definitely becoming a lot stronger, and it was highly noticeable to him.

When they finally reached the cabin, she gently commanded the card to lower the boats to the ground with her mind. When the task was completed, she was exhausted. The two entered the cabin and were greeted by some…sounds coming from one of the upstairs bedrooms.

"Let's go back outside!" suggested Sakura.

"Let's!" And they were out the door in a flash.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They returned about a half hour later, hoping that the previous…commotion was over. They entered the house warily and were greeted by Tomoyo's inquiring voice.

"So, where'd you guys go? How come you were gone so long? Arigato for bringing the boats back! Lunch is ready! It's nothing much, just sandwiches and fruit, but it's food!" When she was finished she took a breath.

"We went on a walk. Because we felt like it. You're welcome. And arigato! We're starved," answered Sakura expertly.

"Oh," replied Tomoyo, seemingly content with that answer. She seemed to be in a much better mood now. 

"So where's this lunch you speak of?" asked Syaoran.

"In the kitchen."

"Terrific." And the three headed off to the kitchen where Eriol was putting the food out onto the table. They all sat down and began eating and talking.

"I'm sorry for overreacting over that whole boat incident," said Tomoyo.

"That's okay. We forgive you. Besides, we shouldn't have just abandoned you two like that," said Sakura.

"So how's that cut of yours?" asked Eriol.

"There's a little scar, and it hurts a little, but other than that it's completely healed," answered Sakura.

"That's good." The conversation continued comfortably, the topic changing every once and a while to something new. When Sakura and Syaoran were finished, they excused themselves and headed for the living room. They settled in on the couch, close to each other, this time hoping that Tomoyo would "secretly" film them. Sure enough, they both felt her intruding presence as she filmed through a crack in the door. 

"Let's give her something interesting to tape," whispered Syaoran. Sakura smile slyly as Tomoyo tried to control herself at the sight of her two friends suddenly getting so close to one another. 

To her surprise they drew closer and closer to one another, snuggling in each other's arms and whispering in each other's ears. Sakura grinned, knowing the torture that she was putting Tomoyo through. _Serves her right for always being so nosy with that camera, _she thought to herself. _It's payback time!_ Syaoran lowered his head and gave Sakura kisses along her neck. Sakura sighed aloud, truly enjoying the feeling, forgetting about Tomoyo for the moment.

Tomoyo watched in shock, unable to move at all. Her mouth was hanging open, camera still focused on the two on the couch. Syaoran leaned his mouth near Sakura's ear and whispered something in her ear. She smiled and tilted her head towards his. Their eyes met and they froze like that for a moment and then leaned towards each other in a passionate kiss. They heard a muffled squeal as Tomoyo clasped her hand over her mouth. Suddenly, she could take it no longer and burst through the kitchen door, expecting them to separate upon her arrival. To her complete and utter bewilderment, they kept right on at it.

"How…when…you…but…" Tomoyo couldn't form any logical sentences at that moment. Too many question were floating in her head. At that moment, Eriol came through the kitchen door. Upon seeing the scene in front of him, he froze, half-surprised and half extremely amused to see what was happening. Sakura and Syaoran broke their kiss.

"Haven't you two ever heard of a thing called privacy?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah," concurred Syaoran, "Beat it!"

"Oh no you don't! You two are going to explain what this is all about," announced Tomoyo.

"Well, what does it look like, Tomoyo?" asked Syaoran as he turned back to Sakura and kissed her again. Sakura smiled. Tomoyo stomped her foot.

"Just how long has this been going on?" she hollered.

"Long enough," Sakura stated, tasting sweet victory at Tomoyo's defeat.

"Why didn't you guys tell me?" demanded Tomoyo.

"What, and miss an opportune moment such as this?" Syaoran asked, content with Tomoyo's reaction to the sudden turn of events.

"All those kawaii moments I missed!" Tomoyo pouted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once Tomoyo was able to cope with the fact that she had been completely oblivious to them, everything seemed to fall back into place…with a few…exceptions.

"Well, obviously room arrangements are going to change," Tomoyo stated.

"Oh really? So I get to sleep in Eriol's room now?" asked Sakura. Tomoyo shot her a death glare. "I was just kidding," said Sakura.

"I know," said Tomoyo, her expression brightening. "I'll move my stuff out of your room right away," Tomoyo continued. She then headed upstairs along with Syaoran so that they could swap rooms.

"So," started Eriol to Sakura, "how long has this thing _really_ been going on."

"That's for us to know and you to find out later…if you're lucky," answered Sakura smugly. She took great satisfaction in knowing that she had the power over the curious Tomoyo and Eriol.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Tomoyo was conducting a similar interview with Syaoran.

"So, how long have you two _really _been going out?"

"Gee," Syaoran started, pretending to be deep in thought, "I really can't recall. You'll have to ask Sakura." And he went right on packing, with Tomoyo nearly fuming. The swapping of rooms went on without further conversation.

When that was through, they headed downstairs to find Sakura on the couch, watching TV.

"Where's Eriol?" asked Tomoyo.

"I think he went down in the basement for something," answered Sakura. Syaoran proceeded to plop down onto the couch next to Sakura.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomoyo opened up the door to the basement that was on the other side of the kitchen, away from Sakura and Syaoran's vision. She could see nothing below her, as it was completely dark. She tried the light switch, but it wasn't working. She took a few cautious steps down.

"Eriol? Are you down here?" She heard nothing in response to her question but proceeded anyway. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, her visibility was zero. 

"Eriol?" Still nothing. She was just about to turn around and head back up the stairs when she felt something grab her wrist and cover her mouth. Her scream was muffled as she was pushed up against the wall. She was suddenly met by a harsh kiss by familiar lips. She relaxed a bit and then kissed back harder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The TV was left unnoticed by the two as they continued their prior activities.

"Mmmmmm…" Sakura moaned as Syaoran kissed her with a little more force. Her hands were weaving through his hair as his were caressing her back. Their auras were mixing together, comforting the other, as they became unaware of the rest of the world around them.

So how did you like it? Questions, comments, suggestions, and even flames are always welcome. Thanks again for the reviews! I hope to have more out soon. Ja ne!


	9. When Night Falls Again

The TV was left unnoticed by the two as they continued their prior activities ****

Author's Note: Oh my gosh! Gomen nasai for not writing in so long! It's been so incredibly hectic lately! I've gotten so many reviews and comments. Arigato gozaimasu! Our school honestly must have been the last one out. Our last day was the 21st of June! That's why I've been so busy (with finals and all) and I had no spare time whatsoever. And then my family went on a little vacation and I just started all my summer activities. Thanks again for all the great reviews! I hope you like this chapter, and since it's summer vacation now (I do my little end-of-school-start-of-summer-vacation dance) I hope to be writing a whole lot more. This may be the end of the story (as it can easily be a conclusion) but I'll have to wait for reviews. Well, on with the story!

__

The TV was left unnoticed by the two as they continued their prior activities.

"Mmmmmm…" Sakura moaned as Syaoran kissed her with a little more force. Her hands were weaving through his hair as his were caressing her back. Their auras were mixing together, comforting the other, as they became unaware of the rest of the world around them.

Summer cont'd

By: Shayna

Night was falling upon the cabin when Tomoyo and Eriol came up to find Sakura and Syaoran…in a very heated…very passionate…game of Mario Kart. It was intense, each eager to win, shooting the other with as many weapons as he/she could pick up.

"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO HIT ME WITH THE SHELL?!?!?" Sakura wailed. For that she nailed him right back with hers.

"HEY!" he yelled as his kart went careening out of control.

"Hey now, don't leave us out of all the fun!" exclaimed Eriol. He and Tomoyo then sat down and plugged in two more controllers. The screen split into four, and the group enjoyed a few rounds around the various Maria Kart racetracks.

"I WON! I WON! IN YOUR FACE! I AM THE CHAMPION! I AM THE BEST!" 

"And a graceful winner, too," commented Eriol, who promptly got clogged with a pillow. He countered with his own, right back at Sakura.

"Oh no! We're not starting _that _again!" squealed Tomoyo.

"Fine with me!" started Sakura, "It's not my fault Eriol's a sore_ loser_!"

"I am NOT a loser!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am…"

"_HELLO!!! _Just STOP already!" hollered Syaoran at the two of them, who were now sticking their tongues out at each other.

"You're just sticking up for your _girlfriend_!" said Tomoyo.

"Oh? And I bet you just can't stand the fact that your _boyfriend_is such a loser!"

"That's it! Us two versus you two! Battle mode!" exclaimed Tomoyo, narrowing her eyes and gripping the controller until her hands turned white.

"You're on!" countered Sakura.

The little turtle in the cloud with the traffic signal was floating in the sky. The light was red and it beeped. Another beep was heard as the light turned yellow. All eyes were focused intently on the screen. Just before the last beep was heard, they all simultaneously revved their engines. GREEN! And they were off!

Syaoran, as Princess Peach, took off like a shot around the first corner. Sakura, as Yoshi, didn't falter off course as she plowed straight ahead at top speeds, aiming for the first item box. Meanwhile, Tomoyo, as Luigi, took off after Syaoran at top speed, while Eriol, as Toadstool, raced for the item box as Sakura was doing. Sakura ended up with the box and stuck her tongue out at Eriol. In another part of the battle arena, a now armed Luigi was chasing Princess Peach.

"Hey Tomoyo…" said Sakura, with an odd tone in her voice.

"Huh?" Tomoyo glanced over to where Sakura was sitting. She had on a very odd expression. Tomoyo had known this girl nearly all her life. She knew exactly what that look in her eyes meant.

"GIRLS VS. BOYS!!!" they both shouted at the same time while shooting their weapons at a very unsuspecting Princess Peach and Toadstool.

"NO FAIR!" yelled the two boys as various objects simultaneously attacked them.

"Of course you know this means war," stated Syaoran. Tomoyo and Sakura just looked at each other, fearing the worst when their respective boyfriends launched a full-out tickle attack on the two of them. Laughter filled the entire cabin until all four were tired without a doubt.

"Well, I'm definitely too tired to do much more. I'm hitting the sack!" exclaimed Sakura, exhausted.

"I agree," conferred Tomoyo, "You boys can clean up," she said as she and Sakura ran at top speed for the stairs.

Eriol and Syaoran just looked at each other, and then at the mess of game controllers and pillows everywhere. The couch was in complete and utter disarray. They wouldn't be able to join the girls for at least fifteen minutes.

"Figures," muttered Eriol, "she takes after me with her conniving little ways." Then he smirked. "Oh well, I'll get her back tonight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Meanwhile, upstairs, the girls had changed into their pajamas and were talking a mile a minute about everything on the bed in Sakura's room. Some things would never change. And surely this kind of bubbly talking was one of those things.

"You should have seen your expression, Tomoyo! It was classic. I wish I would have had a video camera to film _you _with!"

"Hey, now! It wasn't very nice keeping such a secret from me for so long! And then I walk in and there you two are kissing! What was I supposed to think? You still haven't told me how long it was going on before I found out."

"And you may never know…" replied Sakura dramatically. Tomoyo merely pouted, frustrated to find that neither she nor Eriol could pry such a valuable piece of information from either of them.

"Besides," continued Sakura, "we're together now, and that's all that really matters."

"And it's about time! Eriol and I have been trying to get you guys together for years! None of our schemes have ever worked. Here we've been trying so hard and you go and get together behind out backs!"

"Ah! But you were scheming behind our backs as well. Or…at least trying to!" Suddenly Sakura stopped.

"Sakura? Are you okay? What is it?" asked Tomoyo. Sakura merely smirked.

"He'll never learn," she muttered. Tomoyo just looked at Sakura quizzically. Then Sakura walked up to the closed door of the bedroom and swung it open.

Standing there was Syaoran with his mouth half open, hand on the doorknob.

"Boo?" he tried.

"Come on, Syaoran! Wasn't it you who, just the other day, reminded me that I could never sneak up on you? Well, the same goes for you sneaking up on me! It's just not gonna happen."

"Darn," he said, deflated. "Well, Tomoyo, I do believe that Eriol is waiting for you," Syaoran hinted at shooing her out of the room. 

"Oh yeah." And then she left. When the door closed behind her, Sakura swung her arms around Syaoran's neck and gave him a long hard kiss. He responded immediately, picking her up effortlessly and setting her gently down on the bed.

"I'll be right back," he said as he grabbed another set of clothing and headed into the bathroom. He emerged no more than five minutes later, dressed in baggy gray sweatpants and a green tanktop. He looked over to the bed and just smiled gently. There lay Sakura, sound asleep atop the covers.

__

The day really must have worn her out, he figured. He moved over to the bed and gently scooped her up into his arm. She stirred and cracked her eyes open blearily.

"Syaoran?" she just barely whispered.

"Shh. Go back to sleep," he answered softly as he pulled the sheets back from the bed and placed her gingerly on top. 

He then went over to the light-switch and turned it off and then came back to the bed and lay beside her. Pressing his chest against her back, he wrapped his arm under hers and around her waste to pull her close, bending his chin down to nuzzle it in the crook of her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. She squirmed a little and then turned to face him, eyes still closed.

He stroked her cheek gently and then just held her little form in his arms. She was so warm. He looked down at her lovingly, noticing that her lips were curved into the slightest of all smiles, outwardly displaying that she was completely at peace. He planted a kiss gingerly on her forehead. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber. There was only one thought going through his mind before he fell asleep: _Perfect_.

So? How did you like it? I know it's kinda short, but I'm thinking that this is a good place to end the story because it kind of concludes everything that I've been building to, but if you really want more, I guess I could come up with something. (I just think this story is getting a little old.) However, the reason I haven't been able to finish for a while was due to lack of time and a slight case of writer's block. I just couldn't think of anything. This fuzzy ending came to me before I went to bed last night. Gomen for keeping you waiting for so long. I'm thinking of writing an Escaflowne fic soon, but I want to make sure that my first story is complete. I'm not sick of it, I just think it needs to end before it starts heading in the wrong direction. Well, all comments are still welcome. I'd like to hear from you all. Do you want more of this story? Was it a good ending? Should I start a new story? All ideas, suggestions, questions, comments, and even flames are encouraged. Thanks again for being such loyal readers! Ja ne!


	10. Epilogue

****

Author's Note: Wow… I think that's all I can say. I don't even believe that I haven't written in this long. And here I was thinking that I would write more once summer arrived. Now it's already November! I honestly don't believe that I didn't write at all over the summer. I'm so totally, majorly, incredibly sorry!!! I bet at this point, any fans that I might have had think I'm dead. Well, here I am again, and I didn't want to leave this story without a definite conclusion. So here, at long last, after a very long time, is the epilogue to my first CCS fanfic (actually, my ONLY fanfic) "Summer."

__

He stroked her cheek gently and then just held her little form in his arms. She was so warm. He looked down at her lovingly, noticing that her lips were curved into the slightest of all smiles, outwardly displaying that she was completely at peace. He planted a kiss gingerly on her forehead. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber. There was only one thought going through his mind before he fell asleep: Perfect_._

Summer cont'd

By: Shayna

Somehow, their excursion in the cabin came to an end. Sakura and Tomoyo were chatting gleefully as the two boys began loading up the car with everything they had come with. By means unknown to them, it seemed that the girls ended up with more in their suitcases than before. At least, they certainly felt heavier to the two lifting them.

"They sure figured out how to use us as manual labor real quick," commented Syaoran.

"You forget that I have been doing this longer than you have. I'm already used to it," replied Eriol, with that smug, but strangely pleasant smile. Syaoran merely shook his head. But then he looked up at his green-eyed beauty beaming in the sunshine…_mine,_ he thought. Suddenly, loading the car seemed like anything but a chore because he was doing it for her. And he knew he would do so much more if she needed him to.

He watched as her eyes sparkled when she laughed. He could just melt watching her smile like that. _What did I ever do to deserve her? _He asked himself. _And she's mine._ Finally, after all that time, they were together. And he couldn't imagine anything better than that in the whole world. Well, he could think of a few things, but that would have to come later…(A/N: I meant marriage! What were you thinking?!?)

"Are you guys ready to go?" Tomoyo called, snapping Syaoran out of his little reverie.

"All set!" replied Eriol. Syaoran simply nodded once. They all said their quick goodbyes to the cabin and the woods and piled on into the plush suburban.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mighty Li Syaoran had fallen asleep against the window in the back seat. Sakura couldn't help but smile at how cute the puissant warrior looked, seemingly helpless and vulnerable. She knew that in reality, were he anywhere but within the safety of the car, if even a mouse were to sneeze, he'd be up with sword in hand ready to defend himself. But next to her, he seemed relaxed and at peace. 

As she continued to gaze at him, she began to outline all the features she loved about him. Now, more than ever, they seemed extremely arresting to her. Though she had pined for him in the past, now that they were together, she could appreciate the fact that he was…_mine, _she thought. His messy brown hair was in perfect disarray. She loved the way his eyelids fell listlessly shut. She admired his muscular build, broad shoulders, and comforting embrace. She watched as his chest rose and fell rhythmically with his steady breathing. _How did I ever get this lucky? _She asked herself. She knew that no matter what, he would be there to protect her, just like he had so many times in the past. She felt untouchable when she was in his arms, shielded from everything.

She began to feel a little drowsy and the constant motion of the car on the highway lulled her eyes shut. She leaned against Syaoran's shoulder and he unconsciously lifted his arm to bring her closer to his side. There was only one thought going through her mind before she fell asleep: _Perfect._

Well, that's it! I know that this installment was really short, but it's an epilogue! Thanks so much to all of the people who reviewed my fanfic in the past! And for those of you who were thinking, "I wondered when she was ever going to write again," thanks for never giving up hope! Unfortunately, I'm finding less and less free time to write (damn homework) but I'm still open to suggestions on a new story thatI may start. Don't expect anything right away, but I really hope that I can still keep writing. I hope you enjoyed my first fanfiction! (I'm so proud! ^-^) Regarding a new story, I need to know whether you guys want another CCS fic, or an Escaflowne one…Yes, I know, troubling question. I'm open to all other suggestions as well! I'd love to hear from all of you again so please review! Thanks again!


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